Safety device for railroad-trucks



(No Model.)

J. M. BOSTWIGK. SAFETY DEVICE FOR RAILROAD TRUCKS.

N0. 4'76,123.- Patented May 31, 1892.

( m wanton UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH M. BOSTWICK, OF JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR RAI LROAD-TRUCKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 476,123, dated May 31, 1892.

Application filed September 8, 1891. Serial No. 405,072. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH M. BOSTWICK, a resident of J anesville, in the county of Rock and State of Wisconsin, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety De: vices for Railroad-Trucks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in safety devices for railroad-trucks, the object of the invention being to provide means whereby to prevent a train from running off the track in case of a broken rail or axle or from switching from the track when on a sharp curve.

With this object in view the invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, as hereinafter set forth in the claim.

The accompanying drawing represents an embodiment of my invention.

A A represent the ordinary rails of a railway-track, and centrallylocated between these rails is a third rail B, which is preferablyflat or which may, if desired, be arail of ordinary construction, such as the rails A A. One or more of the axles C of a train, having the ordinary wheels O O at the ends thereof, is provided at a point between its ends with another wheel D. The wheel D is made with an annular peripheral groove a, thus producing two peripheral flanges b at each side of the annular peripheral slot Ct. These flanges are adapted to project below the face of the rail 13 at each side thereof, while the body of the wheel will not touch the rail; or, if desired, the body of the wheel D within the groove a may be made to run on the track or rail B and the T flanges b b made to run at each side thereof. By the provision of the devices above described it will be seen that a car will be prevented from leaving its track. in case of a broken axle or in going around a sharp turn.

It is evident that the invention is equally as applicable for use on an elevated road as on a surface road. It is an exceedingly simple device, cheap to manufacture, and very effectual in the performance of its functions.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination, with a car-axle and wheels on the ends thereof, of an intermediate wheel located on the axle, the tread of the intermediate wheel being of the same diameter as the treads of the outside wheels, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH M. BOSTWIOK.

Witnesses:

MORRIS M. BOSTWICK, J. L. DAVIS. 

